Retribution
by fuzzykitty01
Summary: Sakuya Hanarou was murdered at age 7. Years pass and she becomes a respected grimreaper with the appropriate name Shinigami. Shinigami is offered to return to earth with Supreme Kai to help defeat Buu. What happens when her murderer is there too?
1. Prologue: Life is Short

My name was Sakuya Hanarou. I used to live in a secluded mountain village near the 439 mountain area also known as Mount Paozu. Back then I used to play in the lush wild forests in the mountain and pretend I was an animal. Depending on the day, I was a butterfly, a bird, a fox, a monkey, or a tiger. One day I went farther than I ever had before and became lost. By the time I realized it, the sun had gone down and I started to cry. I whimpered and called out for my mommy to come save me.

That's when I met him. His name was Son Goku. He was a cheerful little boy with a contagious smile and a monkey tail. He asked me if I was lost and I said yes. He grinned and his tail waved around excitedly. He noticed me staring at his tail and asked what was wrong. I told him I had never seen anyone with a tail before. Goku looked sad at my answer.

"You mean I'm the only one with a tail? Are you sure?" I nodded and said sorry. My countenance brightened as I told him.

"It's okay! I think it's cool! Besides, I like monkeys! And your tail looks a lot like theirs, so it's even more awesome!"

Goku smiled at the compliment and offered to escort me back down the mountain. We walked in comfortable silence, but of the blue Goku grinned again. "Hey, do you wanna be my friend? The only other person I see is my grandpa, but he's old and can't play as much as he wants to. Plus, you're really pretty. What do you say?" I agreed and that was it.

I became friends with the monkey-tailed boy and sealed my fate. Over the next few years, I traveled up the mountain regularly to visit Goku. We would talk and play and do things normal children did. In that time, I realized Goku was different in more ways than having a monkey tail. He was really strong and could jump higher than any of the boys in my mountain village. I also found his naivety knew no bounds and he didn't realize for the longest time that I was a girl. I met his grandpa Gohan in that time too. He was a nice old man that thought the world of Goku. He was also very protective of Goku and didn't allow him to ever leave the mountain even to come visit me. I could understand his reasoning; most people wouldn't know what to think of a boy with superhuman strength and a monkey tail.

One day I came up the mountain and Goku wasn't there to greet me. I waited for a few hours before deciding to wander off. I had recently found out there was a whole side of the mountain I hadn't explored yet, and I wanted to check it out. The previous night was a full moon. I hadn't realized the significance of that until it was too late. During my exploration of the hidden side of the mountain, I came across a huge crater. Intrigued, I descended down to the center thinking I'd find a meteor or something.

What I found was a spaceship. At first I didn't know what it was, I just thought it was really pretty. I put my hand out to feel the smooth texture of the pod and it opened up! I jumped back in fright before curiosity came over me again. I went to investigate the inside of the pod, but I never got a chance to. I was struck in the back of the head with a wooden club. Of course I blacked out.

When I woke up again, I found myself bound and gagged in a hole with old man Gohan standing over it looking down at me. I saw he was heavily injured. He had bandages all over his face and his arm was in a cast. His nose looked bruised like it was broken recently. And under his gi, I could see bandages crisscrossing over his chest.

"I'm sorry for this, Sakuya-chan. You know too much about Goku-kun and I can't risk you telling anyone. Goku-kun is a good child, but he is not a human child. You saw his spaceship and now you know that too. Goku-kun must never know he isn't human, nor can anyone else. I'm sorry, but this secret must be buried with you." he told me.

I tried to scream, to beg, to call for help, but the gag was doing its job well. I tried to struggle, but Gohan just knocked me back down with the spade of his shovel. Just then, I heard a voice that wasn't Gohan's and I wept in relief. Goku, Goku came to save me just like when I was lost!

"Grandpa, what's going on? Why are you digging such a big hole? And why is Sakuya-chan in it?" Goku sounded tired, like he'd just woken up after a long nap, so he didn't think much of it when Gohan gave a hasty excuse.

"Oh Goku-kun. Pay no mind and go back to bed, Sakuya-chan is just helping me plant some new flowers." Goku yawned and did as asked. He hadn't the slightest inkling of anything being wrong, so he went back to bed.

I was in shock. I knew Goku was naïve, but that was just borderline stupidity! I cried again this time in anger. I would never forgive Gohan for this, nor would I forgive Goku for just letting me die! I would hate them forever. I would hate them even if I died!

Gohan looked at me with pity, but soon steeled himself with resolve and began to bury me alive. I glared up at him the whole time with hate shining in my eyes.

"I'm so sorry child. If it helps, I'll sing you a lullaby to ease you into the next life. I'll even plant flowers her just like I said. You like spider lilies right? I'll be sure to plant a whole garden full of them just for you." I simply lied there and glared into his eyes. No forgiveness; not ever. Gohan sighed sadly, and started to sing a lullaby just like he promised.

"Sakura no hana wa Itsu hiraku?  
Yama no osato ni Itsu hiraku.

Sakura no hana wa Itsu niou?  
Warau nana no ko Asobu koro.

Sakura no hana wa Itsu odoru?  
Utau nana no ko Nemuru koro.

Sakura no hana wa Itsu kuchiru?  
Shinda nana no ko Noboru koro."

My name was Sakuya Hanarou. I died on June 14th when I was seven years old. I was buried alive by old man Gohan while his alien grandson Son Goku let it happen. I have since been adopted as Enma Daioh's heir for reasons unknown to me. I am now called Shinigami, the ferry girl to hell.

HOLY SHIT GUYS. i know i never finish my stories, but THIS TIME I DID. the reason i'm not updating my other two stories is quite simple. i don't know what to do with them anymore. as of now, they are discontinued and are up for adoption.

couple of notes about the story:

YES. it IS done. i have EVERY chapter written in word at this very moment and will update it chapter by chapter until there's nothing left.

many of you are probably going 'WTF? grandpa Gohan KILLED someone? naw you mad bro.' all i have to say is IT'S FANFICTION. it's not SUPPOSED to follow cannon. if we all did that there'd be fifty million different authors of DBZ.

i don't CARE if you hate OC inserts, she was necessary for the story to progress.

in my story, Bulma isn't the first girl Goku's ever met. but she IS the first one he remembers meeting. :3 you'll understand what i mean later.

the "lullaby" at the end of this chapter is Sakura Uta from Jigoku Shoujo. i'm horrible at songwriting so i just yoinked that one.


	2. Chapter 1: The Tournament

Several years have passed since my death. I have adapted well to my afterlife as Enma Daioh's heir. He loved me just like my own father did when I was alive. I started calling him papa because I also grew to love him and was very affectionate towards him. I was his little princess and when no one was looking, he loved to shower me with small, but meaningful gifts. He prepared me well for my future as judge of the dead. He gave me a job to do as a lesson in both responsibility and respect for the deceased. I was now a reaper, a soul who ferries other souls to their respective place for their afterlife. Heaven or hell, I am tasked to escort them there and protect them from demons who prey on souls who wander away before they could reach their destination.

I have met many people this way, and to this day I haven't let a single soul be devoured by the demons. From time to time, I think back to my life and remember that Goku is still alive. It fills me with rage to know that he's down on earth enjoying his life while I had mine ripped away. Gohan had died some time ago, but I wasn't allowed to see him. He had been claimed by the witch Baba and thus was off-limits. That filled me with distain and bitter anger. How could anyone want to claim such an awful soul? He was a legendary martial artist to be sure, but in the end he was just a sad old man with a paranoia that everyone, even a child, was out to get him and his little Goku. If I was honest with myself, I would admit that if Goku's soul was ever assigned to me I would allow him to be devoured by the demons just as he allowed me to be buried alive. I would tarnish my perfect record just for him.

But I hardly ever had these times of remembrance. I was simply too busy ferrying souls and learning my duties as judge of the dead. Most of the time I don't even remember Goku or Gohan even existed. I was usually very bright and bubbly when I wasn't thinking about them. I was loved by many souls and some high-ranking souls even asked my papa if they could court me. They were all turned down, politely of course. Papa didn't want to marry his little princess off so soon. To a mortal, the time that had passed since my death would seem like a long time, but papa and I are immortal and thus we feel like we have plenty of time for me to choose someone to marry.

To the shock of the entirety of Otherworld, the Supreme Kai was one of the potential suitors! He'd heard of my pure heart and warm smile and wanted to see it for himself. Papa reluctantly gave permission for him to court me, but on one condition: I had to love him when he decided to propose to me, or there would be no wedding. He agreed to papa's terms and was allowed to meet me.

He was very kind and very sweet. He greeted me with a gentlemanly bow and kissed my hand. He was also very handsome in an exotic way. He definitely wasn't human, but he was still very attractive. His lilac skin was smooth and stretched thinly over his sculpted, yet petit body. His snow white hair was styled in a Mohawk. His wide soulful black eyes were like a plane of existence all their own. So many mysteries and hidden knowledge were hidden among passionate feelings shining in his eyes. He never raised his voice, but it was a quiet authority that made you listen to him with utmost attention. I fancied him, but I didn't love him quite yet.

We would go on many dates and talk many times before we trusted each other completely. He told me of personal secrets and fears he never told anyone before. Not even his trusted bodyguard and friend Kibito knew of some of the things he told me! In return, I told him of my previous life and how I died. Strangely enough, names failed to be mentioned and neither of us noticed or cared. Perhaps if I had mentioned the name 'Son Goku' he would never have asked me to accompany him to earth to fight in a tournament and ultimately destroy a great evil named Majin Buu. But he did, and it would change everything. For better or worse was yet to be decided.

"Shin-kun, are you certain these warriors are powerful enough to destroy Majin Buu?" I asked my fair-haired suitor from my seat in his lap. Shin, or the Supreme Kai to most, smiled softly down at me and asked me,

"You doubt me, love?" it was said in jest, but I was still worried. Shin noticed my hesitance and turned my head to face him.

"What's wrong, Shinigami-chan?" he asked me.

"I just feel uneasy. Something has been nagging at me since we got here, and I'm worried that everything will go wrong." I confided in him like I normally did. Shin was quick to comfort me as usual.

"Maybe it's because earth is where you lived when you were alive? You must feel homesick; after all, it's been a while since you've been here." I smiled, still unsure, but more willing to accept Shin's theory.

"Perhaps you're right. I'm being silly." I conceded.

The announcement of the child portion of the tournament was sounded and I bid Shin farewell. My part to play was to enter the children's tournament and assess two of the younger warriors Shin had in mind for backup. In case the main warriors he picked died trying to destroy Majin Buu. It was an unlikely event, but one that must be prepared for nonetheless. I was not given the names of the main warriors, just the two backups I would be facing. Shin said I would find out later, but it was too risky for me to know right then because of Babidi's spies. For now I trusted Shin's judgment with the knowledge that I would know when it was necessary.

"Okay Trunks-kun and Goten-kun, let's see if you'll be of any use to our cause. I'll do my best, Shin-kun. You can count on that!" I muttered to myself as a kind of pep talk before I entered the waiting area. I scanned the room for anyone with an unusually high Ki. It wasn't hard to find the two I was looking for because both of their Kis were radiating so much hyperactive energy that those with the ability to sense Ki would see them as moving bonfires. I meandered over to the two high Ki signatures, making sure not to look like I was targeting them directly. Eventually I 'bumped' into them and started to play the role of a child unaware of her surroundings.

"Oh no! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bump into you!" I hastily apologized before looking up at them both. I had to stifle a gasp when I saw who I was supposed to evaluate.

The boy on the left was unusually pretty, but ultimately not who caught my eye. The boy on the right however, was a spitting image of Son Goku! my killer, or someone who looked like my killer, was standing right in front of me looking all innocent and helpful. Rage consumed me like fire, but I fought to keep up my façade so I wouldn't ruin Shin's plan.

"Aw it's okay! No harm done, see? Not a scratch on me!" Goten, the one who looked like Goku, boasted as he showed me his lack of marks. I forced myself to smile and said,

"Oh thank goodness! Say, you're really tough aren't you? I could've sworn I plowed into you hard enough to at least knock you down!" I played up on his pride and he immediately took a liking to me.

"Yeah! My big brother Gohan trained me! He's the best and strongest big brother ever!" Neither boy noticed my wince at the mention of 'Gohan.' Even in death the old coot haunts me! I switched to 'awe' in the blink of an eye.

"Wow, your brother sounds cool. Is he here at the tournament too?" Goten nodded excitedly.

"Yeah! Gohan's fighting too, but he's old enough to fight with the adults. It's not fair! I'm strong enough to fight too! Oh well, at least I got Trunks here to fight, or else I'd be really bored." Goten seemed to realize something. "Oh right! I didn't tell you our names yet, huh? I'm Goten, and this is my best friend Trunks!" The pretty boy with lilac hair nodded to me in greeting.

"Wow, Goten you just figured that out now? You didn't even ask her for _her_ name yet." Trunks jabbed at Goten, who blushed in embarrassment.

"Gosh Trunks, you don't have to say it like that… but he's right! I haven't asked you what your name is yet huh?" I smiled at them and introduced myself.

"I'm Shinigami. It's nice to meet you." Trunks raised an eyebrow and said,

"That's a weird name. Who names their kid death?" I realized Shinigami wasn't a normal human name, but it was necessary to lay my trap. I shrugged nonchalantly and said,

"My papa wanted me to use that name throughout the tournament. Said it was good for hype or something like that. I wasn't really paying attention." This got Goten's attention.

"Hey, I know you can't say your name at the tournament, but do you think your daddy will let you say it after?" He was so hopeful. I smirked inside my head; bingo.

"I guess. Alright it's settled! I'll tell you my real name when the tournament is over!" Oh I'll tell you my name alright. Everyone will know what you did then.

We talked for a while longer, I found out some interesting things about Goten during that time. I found out that Goten was seven and Trunks was eight. I found out Goten's daddy was gone for a long time and had come back just for today. And best of all, I found out Goten's daddy was named Son Goku. I smiled evilly to myself as I excused myself to use the bathroom. I finally have you right where I want you Goku-kun. Death won't be sweet for you if I have anything to say about it. I hatched an evil plan just then. Retribution would be mine, and by the end of it all, Son Goku would be broken.

* * *

Okay cranking out the next chapter because is being weird and i don't know what's going on.

Notes about the story:

who expected that huh? I don't think anyone has ever come up with Enma Daioh deciding to adopt before! it's probably a weird thing to do, but it IS necessary. really, why would the supreme kai take any interest in a random soul? they'd have to have really good connections and what better connection than the judge of the dead?

and yes, meeting the supreme kai was also necessary. how else would she come back to life? no one she knew would use the dragon balls to revive her, so i had to improvise.

for those of you who are confused, Sakuya is lying through her teeth the whole time she's talking to Goten and Trunks. little trickster!

uh oh i wonder what Sakuya's gonna do next? o wait no i don't. i wrote that part already. ;3 muwahaha~ it's good to finally finish something!


	3. Chapter 2: Absolve or Punish?

I waited patiently for my match with Goten. I had no doubts we would meet in the ring. All of the children save for Trunks were insects compared to us. Shin came to see me earlier; he wanted to see how I was. I smiled at him and unnerved him with my angrily glinting eyes.

"Shin-kun, why didn't you tell me I was fighting the son of my murderer?" I asked him sweetly. Shin felt a weight drop into his stomach. _"What did she say? Son Goku never killed anyone who wasn't deserving of it! It was all in his file! Unless… unless Enma Daioh erased all mention of Shinigami's murder for the sake of her privacy!"_ Shin realized this with a growing horror.

"What? But how?" Shin obviously had no idea and that was fine with me. Either way, I'd have my revenge. Even Shin could not deny me my right to retribution.

"It's okay, Shin-kun. I'm not mad at you. I'm happy actually." I admitted. Shin's uneasy feeling started to grow when I smiled up at him with tears running down my face.

"I can finally get revenge. I'm sorry, Shin-kun, but I don't think Goten-kun will be of any use to you as back up." Shin looked sadly at me. He knew how I died and understood my anger. Had he known that Goku was the one to commit such an act, he would never have brought me with him. Killing a child is a very serious offense in Otherworld and Goku was just as guilty as Gohan Sr. for ignoring his grandfather's crime. Normally retribution was frowned upon in Otherworld. Only with the most perverse crimes is it allowed to be carried out by the victimized soul. My case was such a time when it was allowed. I was denied retribution on Gohan because he was already claimed by the witch Baba. No one in Otherworld is allowed to touch souls claimed by her without her permission as stated in their treaty. But Goku was free game, and I intended to strike while the opportunity was mine.

"Are you sure this is what you want, love?" Shin asked me gravely. I nodded my head wordlessly. Shin sighed and relented.

"If it's what you want, I won't stop you. It's your right. Is it presumptuous of me to ask you to keep Goku alive until Majin Buu is dead?" I thought about it, and agreed to his request.

"That's fine. But Goten dies today. I was denied old man Gohan's blood, but Goten should do just fine instead. If nothing else it will serve as further punishment for Goku and maybe even Gohan will feel a twinge of pain from Baba's place." Shin winced in sympathy for the poor boy. Killing children is a serious offence in Otherworld, but like I said, my case is special. Not only was I killed as a child by an old man as another child let it happen, but the child was my friend. Betrayal was another serious offence though not as serious as killing a child. But combined the two were the most sickening of crimes. And since I was denied Gohan, I could choose someone to be punished in his stead. I had lots of leeway when choosing my scapegoat since my case was so special and strange. No one would blame me or condemn me for choosing the child of one of my murderers.

Shin nodded and left me to my thoughts. It's been an hour since then. It was surreal when my fight with Goten was announced. Robotically I stood and walked out to the outdoor ring.

"_Show time."_ I thought absently. I faced my victim and waited for the signal to start. Goten was smiling happily at me. He crouched into his stance and waited for me to do the same. When seconds ticked by and I hadn't moved, Goten called out to me.

"Hey, Shinigami! Aren't you going to get into your stance?" I ignored his question and continued to stare at him. This unnerved the boy and the urge to fidget was strong. He clamped down on the urge and kept his guard up until I asked him a question.

"Goten-kun, do you still want to know my name?" Goten blinked in confusion, but answered yes. I smiled slowly and deliberately.

"My name is Sakuya Hanarou. I was seven years old when your daddy watched old man Gohan bury me alive." Goten felt a cold shiver run down his spine. "Since old man Gohan is off-limits, you will be punished in his stead."

All Goten had time to do was gasp before I was across the arena with my elbow digging into his back. He was knocked down, but not knocked out. Good, this shouldn't be too easy after all.

* * *

yay! crankin' out chapters one at a time is fun~ i feel so giddy right now! and at the same time i feel like a really horrible person for hurting poor Goten. XD;;;

Notes about the chapter:

you might be thinking to yourselves, 'wait, i thought you said Sakuya was pure of heart? why is she so angry?' well yea, but i also said she could get REALLY angry when she thought about her life. (and death) she's usually too busy to sit around and think about it most of the time though. she never really had an opportunity to let the anger and hatred fester and eventually just kind of went 'oh well can't do anything about it now' and moved on. but that's changed now. she has a target to focus on and all of the anger and hate just kinda burst free all at once. that's normal with trauma victims too, so don't tell me i'm being dramatic! i'd think it would be pretty traumatizing to be BURIED ALIVE while your friend just shrugged it off and went to take a nap, wouldn't you? oh goku... i love you, but i also love love picking on you. XD;; it's just too easy.

and you're probably wondering, 'wait, why didn't the supreme kai tell her what's going on?' well honestly, i think the supreme kai is the type to keep so many secrets it backfires. i mean really, at the WMAT before the buu saga shin just kinda grinned and let everything happen because it was 'all part of the plan' and when shit didn't go as plan, it was because he didn't give anyone a heads up. and he freaked the fuck out. i mean really, anyone who is in vegeta's presence for five seconds would figure out he's a stubborn bastard who won't listen to what you say unless there's a VEEEEERY good reason. sometimes not even then. but shin just kinda sat there and told vegeta 'you gotta do it like this and if you do that we're doomed.' without explaining HOW they were doomed. obviously vegeta would flip the fuck out and he did! that's how majin vegeta came about. this whole thing is probably one big miss communication brought on by shin's cloak and dagger personality. names were never mentioned, so sakuya just shrugged and went with it. she didn't know the powerful 'warriors' were goku and his friends.

and to all you people who are offended by my reasoning behind why sakuya went after goten, stop it. i myself feel horrible about putting goten through this and i agree with you. you are only going to be preaching to the choir and i don't wanna hear it. i just had to give a reason why she wasn't going after Gohan Sr. and it kinda went from there.


	4. Chapter 3: Chain of Memories

Meanwhile in the stands, the Z senshi were confused at the little girl's words. Goku? She thought _Son Goku_ the most pure hearted gentle giant would stand by and watch as she was killed? And what's up with that? The child was obviously alive. Unless the dragonballs were involved no one could see how the little girl could be telling the truth.

And yet Goku was shaking in his weighted boots. He looked terrified with his eyes glazed over as he was lost in a memory. He was clutching the handrail so hard it bent under strain. He was ashy pale and his lips formed a thin line. Whoever this child was, Goku was frightened of her.

"Goku? What's wrong?" Bulma asked her longtime friend. She reached out to touch his shoulder and was surprised when Goku tensed up before coming out of his flashback. His eyes were still haunted by whatever memory flashed before his eyes. He muttered a few things under his breath and Bulma could only catch a few words of it.

"Sakuya-chan… holes… spider lilies… grandpa…" Bulma didn't know what to make of it, but thinking back to when she first met Goku she remembered there was a lovely garden patch filled with spider lilies in front of the house.

"Oh yeah! Your grandpa had a patch of spider lilies growing in front of your old house right? They were so pretty." Thinking back further, Bulma also remembered she was curious about the spider lilies then too. She asked Goku who planted them and he said,

"Grandpa did. Sakuya-chan helped though. He said Sakuya-chan was feeding the flowers to help them grow and that's why she stopped coming over to play with me." At the time, Bulma thought Goku had lost a close friend or something and was too naïve to realize his grandpa had buried her. She didn't pry any further because it wasn't her business and she didn't want to test the limits of the young boy's naivety. Soon enough she forgot all about the spider lilies and the little girl Goku called Sakuya-chan in a whirlwind of crazy adventure brought on by their hunt for the dragonballs.

Slowly, Bulma put the pieces together and the picture they made was disturbing. The little girl said her name was Sakuya Hanarou… Sakuya-chan. Oh god, were the spider lilies covering up a murdered little girl's grave? Was Sakuya-chan forced to 'feed the flowers' as Goku put it back then?

"Goku… what did you do?" Bulma asked slowly and deliberately. The other Z senshi gasped at Bulma's audacity. Did Bulma honestly think Goku would kill someone? When they turned to look at Goku to see how he was taking the accusation, they were shocked to see Goku had his eyes closed as if blocking out a painful memory. It was unsettling.

"Dad-what?" Gohan couldn't bring himself to voice his query. He didn't even know whether the question he wanted to ask was 'what's going on?' or 'what did you do?'

"Sakuya-chan's favorite flower was a spider lily. Grandpa told me she was busy feeding them and that's why she couldn't come over anymore. I'm such an _idiot_! I saw grandpa standing over the hole where Sakuya-chan was! I saw the shovel in his hands! I heard him singing a lullaby to her as he buried her alive! I'm so stupid! I believed him and went to take a _nap_!" Goku broke down. "Why grandpa? Why did you kill Sakuya-chan? And why did I let you?" The Z senshi just stood there shell shocked as they watched Goku's breakdown and his son getting retribution meant for him.

"No! Sakuya-chan don't hurt him!" Goku shouted down to the girl in the ring. The Z senshi flinched back in shock from the suddenness of it. Goku's eyes were wild as he took in the brutal beat down being given to his son.

I heard Goku beg for his son's life, but I didn't care. It was his fault this was happening in the first place. I continued on as if I hadn't heard him. Goku barreled down the stadium steps and stopped just before he entered the ring.

"Stop it, Sakuya-chan! It's me you want! Leave my son out of this! Please, Sakuya-chan!" I paused for a moment and looked at my murderer. I could afford to take my eyes off my 'opponent' because he was near unconsciousness and couldn't even stand without huge amounts of effort. I pinned Goku down with an icy glare.

"You'll get your turn soon enough, Goku-kun. To be honest, I don't care to punish your son, but old man Gohan is off-limits so he'll have to do." I told him this with chilling honesty.

"Wha-? What does that even have to _do_ with anything? Goten's innocent! He didn't do anything to you! Punish _me_ if you have to, but let Goten go!" Goku was growing desperate. You could hear it clearly.

"I told you, Goku-kun. You'll be punished too. But someone precious to me needs you alive for the time being." I looked up at the stands and spotted people who looked like Goku's friends. They certainly looked worried enough. "Do your friends know that you helped kill your best friend when you were little? Or should I tell them?"

I addressed the whole crowd, but mostly the Z senshi when I spoke next. "Did you know the world champ over here stood by and let his grandpa bury me alive as a child? I went up the mountain to play with him, but he took forever to show up. I got bored and decided to explore the side of the mountain I hadn't gotten a chance to yet. I stumbled upon something very strange there. A freaking spaceship! My best friend was an alien! I didn't have a chance to defend myself as old man Gohan snuck up behind me and hit me hard enough to knock me unconscious. When I woke up, old man Gohan stood over me with a shovel in his hand. I was in a child-sized hole bound and gagged. He was going to bury me alive and muffle my screams. I cried in relief when I heard my best friend's voice. I thought he was going to save me. But he only asked his grandpa a few questions and believed a stupid half-baked lie about me helping him plant some flowers! He went back inside to take a _nap_ while his grandpa carried on burying me and singing a lullaby." I ignored the murmuring crowd to address Goku again.

"I knew you were naïve, Goku-kun, but I didn't think you were stupid." With those cutting words, I walked back over to Goten. I picked him up by his throat and squeezed. I ignored all attempts to stop me.

"This is getting out of control! Shinigami is killing Goten! Excessive force is against the rules! Security, get her off of him and escort her out of the ring fast!" The announcer called out to security, only to find them unconscious! Not good, he thought.

Shin watched sadly from out of the public view. He would not let anyone interfere. This was retribution. He put all capable of interference to sleep before the match started and they wouldn't wake up until it was done.

Goku leapt onto the stage and tried to tackle me in a desperate attempt to get me off of Goten. I would have none of that and used a barrier field to force him away. No interference.

Gohan had enough of sitting around. His little brother was getting killed and his father wasn't any help right now. He didn't know what was going on, but his little brother was _not_ dying on his watch! He sprinted down the stairs and faced this 'Sakuya-chan' character head on.

"Hey! Let my brother go right now!" I looked over my shoulder to see a teenager with the same eyes as Goku. His resemblance to Goku was striking and I assumed him to be Goten's big brother Gohan.

"And if I refuse?" I challenged him. Gohan grit his teeth and snarled at me. He didn't dare come near; he saw what my barrier field did to his father and wasn't stupid enough to repeat the mistake. So he tried to bargain with me.

"I don't know what's going on, but you want revenge right? Goten didn't do anything to you, let him go. Take me instead." I raised my brow in interest.

"Why would I do that? What could you possibly offer me in return that this boy can't?" Gohan raised his chin in defiance.

"You have a score to settle with Gohan. My name's Gohan, so your fight is with me." I smirked at Gohan. He's good. I looked down to the struggling boy in my grip and said to him.

"You sure are lucky Goten-kun. You have someone who loves you enough to take your place to save you. I wish I was that lucky." my grin turned evil. "Too bad that just makes me want to kill you more!" and with that, I jerked my wrist in a way that snapped Goten's neck. A tense silence brought on by disbelief shattered into an uproar of screams. The crowd was terrified of this killer child who just snapped another child's neck like it was nothing!

Goku and Gohan could only stare in shocked disbelief at the body of young Goten. Goku lamented the son he never knew but loved so much anyway. Gohan mourned the little brother he helped raise like a son. Their grief turned to rage as they set their sights on me. I smiled peacefully as I took Goten's soul from his body and held it in my arms.

"Goten's soul belongs to me now. You will join him soon, Goku. Make no mistake." I vanished before the enraged family could swoop in and steal what's mine.

* * *

...OUCH. i hurt MYSELF writing that. xDD;; poor Goten! popped joints alone make me queasy, but a snapped neck... *shivers* eww. (even though i pop my joints all the time... .;;; XDD) MAKE NO MISTAKE! THIS IS **NOT** THE LAST CHAPTER! there's one more to go before it's done! i think you guys will like it more than this one.. XD;;

Notes about the chapter:

repressed memories are a bitch aren't they? Goku's naivety hurt more than helped this time around. . Goku's repressed memory of Sakuya's murder caused him to go into shock and then the realization that his SON was in danger because of it caused the shock to turn into full-on panic. that's why he was so easy to be flung away by the barrier field. at least that's how it is in my mind. XD;; i don't think Goku was thinking straight enough to think of turning Super Saiyan...

the announcer dude actually tried to stop the match this time? NO WAY! lol it always bugged me how the rules clearly say that excessive force is a big no-no and yet the announcer dude just lets life and death matches continue la-dee-da. i mean for fucks sake Goku vs Piccolo back in dragonball was CLEARLY excessive force, and yet the announcer was just like '... okay. you can beat him Goku! i believe in you~'

you may have noticed i made Sakuya refer to Goku as her 'murderer.' make no mistake, Goku didn't actually BURY her, but in her mind, Goku is just as guilty. she knows Goku never actually picked up a shovel to do the deed, but say someone was drowning and you happened to pass by. you just kinda stare at the drowning person, shrug, and walk away. you didn't call out for help, you didn't help the drowning victim yourself, you just walked off. did you murder someone? yes. it's called negligent homicide. that's Sakuya's mentality right now.

PLEASE DON'T HATE ME! I DON'T LIKE THIS NOTION OF 'AN EYE FOR AN EYE' ANY MORE THAN YOU DO! i just know how to get into a character's mind even if i don't share the sentiment... that's what a writer DOES.

Now to answer reviews:

BrokenSilence47: i hate the prologue too don't worry. XD it seemed a bit too... impersonal for what was going on you know? like there wasn't any actual character interaction going on. but i like to think Sakuya was just remembering it with a detached indifference. this IS a first person story after all. this is SAKUYA telling the story. so my thought process needed to take a backseat for what SAKUYA would think. i hope that makes sense... XD;; BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR NOT GIVING UP ON ME! i feel giddy inside that you like it now! and i'm sorry, but unfortunately Goten died. XD;; I'M SORRY. i love goten too and i want to break the 4th wall just to go inside the tv and cuddle him! but there's one more chapter left, so maybe you'll be satisfied with the ending? ;v;

Chimera prime: uh... hehehe... he died. XD;; SORRY! and i don't think Goku's gonna 'spar' her as much as he's gonna open up a can of righteous fury and whoopass on her. but one more chapter, we'll see. :3 THERE IS A METHOD TO MY MADNESS I SWEAR~


	5. Finale: Retribution

Looking at the boy's sleeping soul, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of pity. Perhaps I would go easy on the punishment bestowed on him. He was a child after all. A child of a murderer, but a child nonetheless. I brushed the thick bangs away from Goten's face. He looked peaceful when he slept.

Perhaps I misjudged my motives for killing Goten. I swore at the beginning I wanted him dead because he looked so much like Goku and the fact he was loved by the man would be the ultimate punishment when he was ripped away. But now as I look at him up close, I questioned that. Slowly, as I take in more of his peaceful sleepy face, I realize I want him as my own. I want to raise him with Shin-kun and be a family like I couldn't have done in life. I ran my hand down his ghostly cheek and he stirred. He blinked the sleep out of his bleary eyes and focused on me. He seemed scared for a moment, but suddenly he relaxed and reached out to touch my cheek.

"I get it now. You weren't angry at all, were you? You were sad. You liked my daddy a lot, didn't you? That's why you were so angry at him when he didn't save you. Daddy's sad too you know. He's saved a lot of people lots of times, but I think that's because he feels guilty because he didn't save _you_." I was shocked to feel tears rolling down my cheeks. It was true. I did like Goku a lot. It hurt so much when I didn't matter enough to him to enquire further about his grandpa's suspicious behavior and by extension save me from my death. I turned that hurt into anger and the anger slowly changed to hate. I sobbed freely and clutched Goten closer to me.

"Why Goku-kun? Why didn't you save me? Did I matter so little to you? I liked you a lot! I wanted to get married one day and have kids, but I can't do that because you didn't save me!" I lamented thinking only Goten could hear me. I was wrong.

"I'm sorry." I gasped and whirled around to see Goku's guilty face. Obviously he'd come looking for Goten and stumbled upon our little tender moment.

"I really am an idiot. I didn't want to believe my grandpa could do something like that. I ignored it thinking grandpa wouldn't lie to me about that. I'm a fool. I liked you too Sakuya-chan. It hurt when I realized I couldn't see you anymore. I guess I buried the memory and covered it with pretty lies just like grandpa buried you and covered it up with pretty flowers. I made myself believe that you really were just busy feeding the flowers and that one day you'd come up the mountain saying you were done and we'd start playing together again. God Sakuya-chan I'm so sorry! Can you ever forgive me?" A whole new wave of tears flooded down my face and tried to scrub them away without letting go of Goten.

"You idiot! I can't stay mad at you when you say things like that! It won't change anything!" I sobbed desperately. I froze up when I felt Goku's strong arms wrap around me.

"I know it won't. Nothing will ever change what I've done to you. I've saved so many people, but even with the memory buried, I still remember the one person I failed to save. I'm wrong to ask for your forgiveness, but please don't punish Goten for my sins." I slowly broke apart from the hug and looked down at Goten who was patiently watching us reconcile things. I gave a watery smile and said,

"He looks like you." Goku huffed affectionately and agreed. "Yeah. But he got Chi Chi's eyes." I felt guilty again. I not only hurt Goku when I took his son, but I hurt this Chi Chi woman as well.

"Daddy? Can I stay with Miss Sakuya?" Goku looked surprised at Goten. What brought that on, and why did he want to stay when he already has a family?

"What? Why little buddy? Don't you think you'll miss your mommy and Gohan? They'll miss you too you know."

Goten paused to think of a good way to answer, and spoke. "I know. I'll miss mommy and Gohan a lot and I know they'll miss me too. But mommy and Gohan have each other. Miss Sakuya doesn't have anyone. You took everything away from her including her chance at becoming a mommy like mine. I want her to have something too. Isn't that what retribution means? You took something from Miss Sakuya, so let Miss Sakuya take me. It's only fair, daddy." Goku and I were both stunned at Goten's selflessness. Goku could only ask,

"Are you sure?" When Goten nodded with a serious face, Goku let out a shaky breath.

"Okay Goten. You can go with Miss Sakuya. Take care, okay little buddy?" Goten smiled sadly and nodded. "I will daddy."

"What are you gonna do now?" I asked in reference to how Goku would handle explaining things to everyone involved. Goku looked seriously at me and said.

"I guess I'll go tell everyone that you got away and that King Kai said it's impossible to wish Goten back because of your claim on him. It'll be hard, but it's nothing we haven't handled before. Take care of Goten, Sakuya. You're his mother now." I nodded and told him I would. I decided at the last minute to be bold and kiss Goku on the cheek.

"Goodbye." I whispered as I sprinted off in the opposite direction. I was running towards Shin and our new life together with Goten as our son. Goku lightly traced his cheek and blushed. "Goodbye Sakuya-chan." He whispered back though I was long gone. Goku stared off in the direction I ran in for a moment or two, then he turned back and sprinted away to tell his friends and family the news.

As expected there was a lot of waterworks and mourning when Goku broke the news of Goten's permanent death. Chi Chi wailed to the heavens and cursed me for taking her baby from her. Gohan comforted his mother as best he could while shedding his own tears. The Z senshi bowed their heads in respect and remembrance of the sunny boy who looked like his father. Goku stared up at the heavens and wondered if he did the right thing letting Goten go. He answered his own question with a sharp reminder of what he'd done to me.

"_It'll be hard, but it's only fair. I've saved thousands of people in my life, but I'll never be able to make it up to the one person I didn't. Sakuya? If you're listening, could you take care of Goten for me? He's the only thing I could give you that could even begin to make up for what I did. This is atonement. I took your chance at having a family from you, so it's only right that you take some of my family in exchange. Be happy you guys. I'll do what I can down here to make sure Majin Buu never makes it to Otherworld to destroy it. You just enjoy yourselves until I come up there for good okay?"_ Goku could have sworn that when the wind blew just then, he could hear Goten giggling happily. Yes, Goku thought. This is how it should be.

This is true retribution.

* * *

AND WITH THAT I AM DONE. finished, no more, fin, hasta lavista, NOTHING ELSE~ whew. sorry about the cockblock of a wait guys. i got grounded and my mama cut the internet for the duration. she smart. she don't need the internet to do her thing, but she knows i can't live without it. XD;;

so whatcha think? Goten still got "kidnapped" but it's now a consensual kidnapping. XDD i hope this made you all think a bit. i wanted it to be a sort of controversial ending. i told you guys there's a method to the madness~

Notes about the story:

i realize Sakuya's little motive change was a bit rushed and weird, but i've watched a special on investigative discovery channel once where some women who committed crimes (felonies that may or may not be murder) had a clear cut motive in the beginning but slowly realized their ' motive' was far from what they thought it was. in one case a woman was kidnapping children 'for the money' she got from illegal orphanage transactions. but she stopped one day and looked at one of the children she was kidnapping and realized her motive was actually a way to 'save the children' she kidnapped. she looked back on all the other children she kidnapped and realized their parent's were shitty ones. that kinda happened here when Sakuya looked down at Goten and thought 'wait, he DOES look like Goku, but at one point that would have been a GOOD thing...' i guess in a span of five seconds she figured 'this should have been MY child with Goku' and fell in love with him so to speak.

speaking of Goten he really got eloquent in this chapter didn't he? i mean at the WMAT i just wanted him to sound like a happy 7 year old. but then i pull this 'wise beyond your years' shit out of nowhere. XD; then again, i always wondered how Goten didn't get messed up as a child... he's GOT to have some identity issues right? he's a mini me of Goku for christ's sake! everyone's always telling him 'wow Goten! you look more and more like Goku every day!' there's gotta be some soul searching going on in that little spiky head of his trying to figure out where Goku ends and Goten begins... then again, Akira Toriyama could've delved into A LOT of the character's psyche's but he didn't. so who knows? Goten could have a mystical side to him and we would never know in cannon~

that part where Sakuya and Goku say goodbye was symbolic. they both split up and went back to their separate lives. they 'turned back in opposite directions' to cement the goodbye and say 'this chapter is closed for good.' don't look back at the past, but look forward to the future. Goku kinda looked in the direction Sakuya went off in for a moment to symbolize 'i'll never _forget_ you or Goten, but i have to move on.' there's all this crazy symbolism going on in this scene that i felt i had to explain it lest it get lost in translation. XD;

Response to the Reviews:

BrokenSilence47: yes the snapping of necks makes me shiver. XD; i may crack my knuckles, but i cringe every time i do it. XD;; still can't break the habit though... anyway i hope this wasn't AS depressing as the last chapter. at least there's some kind of reconciliation right? Goten got kidnapped, but it's not like he's gonna get hurt or anything. plus he agreed to it so it's not really 'kidnapping' anymore. i hope this ending won't depress anyone... it was kinda meant to be a controversial ending where it's still 'bad' but there's some 'good' thrown in there to shake it up.

dark angel: yus. if Goku hadn't went after Sakuya to get Goten, he would have been lost for good. but i guess he still is 'lost' because Goten chose to go with her. XD; no turning back now.

and with that folks, i close up this story for good. no sequel here. i don't think there's any way there COULD be a sequel really. i COULD do a 'what's Goten and Sakuya up to?' kinda thing, but that'd be boring and useless information because Goten wouldn't be able to DO much on the planet of the Kais. it'd most likely just be a bunch of family time fluff and that's not a story worth reading without some kind of twist. anyway, bye bye everyone! maybe one of the other five fics i'm working on at the moment will be finished eventually and i'll post them. but until then, nekotama out~


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